Inside Out
by SunKing
Summary: "Christ, you're beautiful." She leaves me with these words, and I have to find her again among five thousand students. The problem is I'm invisible...and she may be, too. Originally posted as FemmeFoulon.
1. Chapter 1

There are five thousand people in this stupid school - give or take a few hundred. When there are enough people that a few hundred can be counted or discounted in the census, it's easy to understand how one insignificant person such as myself could get lost in the shuffle. My grades aren't good enough to be one of the honor students. I'm not hopeless enough to be one of the geeks. I'm certainly not good looking enough or athletic enough to climb the ranks of the elite. Out of five thousand people, roughly four thousand, six hundred twenty-two kids are just like me.

Invisible.

I've gone to school with a bunch of these kids since kindergarten, but that doesn't mean they recognize me in the halls. We may have been best friends on the playground, but puberty changes everything. Some were blessed, like my first-grade girlfriend, Rosalie, who has become the hottest girl in school. Jasper, my next-door neighbor since fourth grade, went the opposite direction and became leader of the geek squad. We still talk sometimes, but I never see him at school, so it's not like we stayed friends. The only person who still talks to me is Emmett, but that's because he likes to copy my French quizzes. He's dating Rosalie now, by the way.

I kind of wander aimlessly through my classes, keeping my grades up enough to appease my parents and maybe get into a good college three thousand miles from here. Sports, as previously mentioned, don't really appeal to me. I'm definitely not cut out for the chess club - mostly because I don't really care if I end up in checkmate. That just means the game is over, and I don't have to be bored anymore. I guess I like to read, but my books would put me firmly in geek territory with Jasper. Since no one really knows who I am, I doubt they'd care that I'm a sci-fi and fantasy fan. Still, I don't want to take any chances, so I leave the Sword of Mrathaman and Star Battle Excelsius books at home.

Most of the time, I'm okay with all of this. All right, I'm really not. Rosalie can be a bitch of the highest order, and she doesn't even remember my name, but I sometimes wonder what it would be like if we'd stayed together - or at least still talked. Maybe then I'd be the one pretending to like some stupid invisible kid so he'd let me copy his homework. At least I'm not tortured like Jasper, so that's enough to be thankful for.

I slam my locker door shut, prepared to start another day at the hellhole known as Sam Adams High School, and cringe when it makes a loud clang that echoes through the corridor. Pretty much the only thing that sets me apart from the other students here is that I'm always late. The benefit to being invisible is that my teachers don't seem to notice. Everyone is already in class when I zip my bag and make a run for American history.

As I turn the corner, I collide with someone else who must be late for class. There's a tangle of limbs as we both go flying, and I mutter an apology that falls on deaf ears. All I can see is brown hair whipping everywhere as the girl tries to gather her books. Since I only have to pick up my bag, I help her organize everything on the floor. When the pile is manageable, she looks up, and my world stops.

A moment passes. Five minutes pass. Maybe a year passes. I don't really know, because all I can see is brown. Brown eyes that welcome me in, look me over, and then sparkle in amusement. I don't even know what she looks like, but I know she's not angry.

As soon as my heart starts beating again, she takes the liberty of imparting another blow. I'm not sure I can even move when she finally speaks.

"Christ, you're beautiful."

With that, she lifts her belongings and leaves me staring after her with my jaw dropped all the way to my chest. Slender and yet somehow curvy, her body sways as she walks. Her hair, which is the first and last thing I see of her, reaches all the way to her waist. I'm already five minutes late by this point, and I can't even make myself care.

Finally, I return to my senses and remember where I am, and the world spins madly on.

This is just a short piece of fluff that wouldn't leave me alone. It's finished, so I'll post a chapter per day until it's done. Thanks to Tiffanyanne3 for the super-quick beta job!


	2. Chapter 2

The very idea that someone has finally seen me doesn't leave my mind. It doesn't matter to me that she's pretty-in fact, I can't say for sure that she is. I know her hair is, her eyes are, her body is, and that's enough for me to believe that the rest of her is probably gorgeous. Maybe she has a gap between her two front teeth or her nose is a bit too big for her face. I find that I don't really care. All I can think about is how to find her again so I can repeat her words back to her.

She's not one of the elite, or I'd already know her name. That means finding her again won't be easy, but I'm up to the challenge. If she were in any of my classes, I'd have noticed her before; of that, I'm sure. I think back to the books I helped her pick up, and I remember there was an American Lit text. I had that last semester, so that doesn't help me much. It does tell me where she is during first period, though. I can stalk her…um, I mean, wander up and down that hallway every morning with the hopes of seeing her again. It's not much, but it's definitely a start.

Then there's the little problem of what I'll say to her when I do find her again. I wonder if I can tell her that she totally rocked my whole life in just one moment. Even _I_ realize how ridiculous this sounds. I'm wondering if I'm a little crazy, and it's an uncomfortable feeling. I like to think I'm a pretty normal guy, but that one minute in my nondescript life has rattled me completely.

"If you'll pass up your homework from last night, we'll get started."

I'm jerked back to the present when Mr. Richards speaks. He didn't notice me walking in late because he was putzing around in his office until well after the bell rang. I doubt he would have said anything anyway. He's a pretty cool teacher. As long as we don't get too unruly, he pretty much lets us do whatever we want. That grace doesn't extend to ignoring homework, so I pass up the essays I wrote last night.

With our papers safely on his desk, he begins the lecture and I turn back to thoughts of the girl. Stalking-um, seeking her out-doesn't seem like the best idea, but I don't even know what else I can do. I could ask around, but I'm not sure I know anyone well enough to be all, "Hey, there's this girl with brown hair and brown eyes and a body that won't quit… Know anyone like that?" What I know about her could describe about a hundred of the girls in this school. And I know for a fact that there's no one else like her.

"Hey!"

A whisper from beside me breaks me from my trance, and I turn to see a tiny girl leaning in my direction. She's cute-with really short, back hair and bright blue eyes. I brush my own hair back so I can see her better.

"Can I borrow a pen?" She holds her hands up with a sheepish grin, and I see that she's covered in blue ink. It's the same color as her eyes.

"Jeez, what'd you do?" I mumble, searching in my bag for an extra pen. "Whatever you did, don't do it to my pen. I want it back."

She takes the pen with a smile and smears the ink from her hands all over it. I'm about to protest when she winks and effectively shuts me up. Her cheeky little smile is familiar, and I realize that I was about to snap at Alice Brandon. She's one of the elite, mostly because of her position as co-captain of the cheerleading squad. I know she's been sitting next to me since the beginning of the semester, but I had pretty much blocked everyone out after my seat was assigned. It's the first connection I've made with anyone in several weeks-if I don't count staring like an idiot at the beautiful girl in the hall-and likely to be the last.

Unless…

Maybe Alice knows who the brown-eyed girl is. I can't ask her outright, but I can maybe talk to her a little bit so that it's not so weird when I do finally bring up the subject. With this plan in place, I shuffle through my bag for some hand wipes.

When I set them on the corner of the desk, she smiles gratefully and then rips into the package. The smell of alcohol permeates the air as she covers sheet after sheet with swirls of blue. As a gesture of apology, she uses one more to clean the pen I gave her, making me laugh under my breath.

We probably wouldn't have spoken again, but suddenly Mr. Richards informs us that we need to choose a partner. Before I can panic, Alice scoots her desk over to be flush with mine. I'm too surprised to say a word, so I shrug and accept the situation. She introduces herself, like I don't already know who she is, and I return the gesture.

I'm glad that she pays attention in class when it comes time to start working. I have no idea what Mr. Richards told us to do, so she patiently explains that we're to put together a presentation that we'll give next week. Again, I'm thrilled to have Alice for a partner because speaking in front of the class has never been one of my strong suits.

"So we should pretend to do a séance and let Andrew Jackson talk through us, do you think?" Alice is chattering away, and all I catch is the word _séance_, which immediately snaps me to the present.

"What? A séance? I thought we were talking about history…" My confusion is evident in my voice, and it makes her laugh.

"Where's your head, Edward?"

I think for a moment about making something up, but the words fall out of my mouth before I can stop them. "I met a girl before this class."

She gives a little squeal and wriggles in her seat a little bit. "What's her name?"

"I have no idea." I bow my head in acknowledgment of my idiocy. I can't even flash a dirty look when Alice laughs at me again.

"Usually, 'meeting' requires exchanging names," she admonishes with a giggle.

"Yeah, well…"

The story comes in starts and fits, but I'm eventually able to share the words that the girl left me with. They still play over and over in my head. _Christ, you're beautiful._

"Wow," Alice says with a shiver. "So romantic! You are pretty cute, you know. When you move your hair and I can see your eyes, anyway. Do you have contacts? If you do, you should wear them. The glasses look really good on you, but your eyes are too pretty for them."

Overwhelmed, I sit back in my chair and contemplate what she's said. Alice Brandon thinks I'm cute, which means it really is possible that the girl from earlier was being serious. There's a part of me that's afraid she was teasing me, but if Alice says it…

"I don't have contacts," I finally answer. "But I could get some, I guess."

"And a haircut," she adds quickly, apparently convinced I'm not offended by her suggestions.

It actually hadn't occurred to me to be upset by her words, but I guess some people might take them the wrong way. To me, it seemed like she was trying to give me advice to get the girl. For that, I'm utterly grateful. Of course, to get the girl, I still have to find her.

"I have no idea," Alice says when I ask.

It was a long shot anyway, asking her. I mean, like I said, she could be one of hundreds of girls in the school.

"I'll look out for her," Alice adds. "If I see any girls in my classes today that match her description, I'll let you know tomorrow. We can compare notes."

I don't have the heart to tell her that I probably wouldn't recognize the girl myself unless I saw her eyes. They're the only part of her I can remember.

Thanks again to TiffanyAnne3, who graciously did a quick beta job on this one.


	3. Chapter 3

I take Alice's advice and get my hair cut right after school. I don't have any clue what to do with it, so I let the girl decide. She looks like she's barely out of high school herself, so I'm pretty sure she'll know what looks best. When she's done, she hands me a tube of something she calls "product," shows me how to make it look good, and then takes my money.

At home, I stare into the mirror, kind of amazed at what a simple haircut can do. I let it get out of hand, growing it out down to my chin, but I didn't realize it was so bad. The new style shows almost my whole forehead, and it's all messy. The stylist squealed when she fixed it, so I hope that means it looks good. I think it looks good, but what do I know?

There's nothing I can do about the glasses, but I do notice they look much better now that my hair isn't getting caught in them. My mom doesn't shut up through dinner about how nice I look, making me feel kind of like I used to look pretty bad.

That belief is confirmed the next day when Alice claps her hands in first period. I waited in the hallway where I ran into the girl yesterday, but she never appeared, so I had to go to class with my tail between my legs. Alice's reaction perks me up a bit, but not much.

"You look so handsome!" Her voice is little more than a whisper, but her excitement is infectious anyway.

I puff up a little bit, wondering if maybe I look good enough for the girl to stop and hang out for a minute if she sees me in the future. If she sees me again, that is. At the moment, I feel confident enough that I'd stop to talk to her, anyway.

I still don't understand a word Alice says throughout class, and I also still don't care. She's writing our presentation on her own and doesn't seem to mind, so I let her. In between one-sided discussions about Old Hickory, she throws out ideas for how I can find the girl. I tell her about stalking…um, waiting for Brown Eyes before class, and she laughs out loud.

When the bell rings, she leaves me with promises that she'll have more ideas for me soon. She wants to get her friends in on the search, and that freaks me out a little. Knowing that others will be all in my business makes me nervous, but I'm willing to risk it for even one more minute with _her._

After lunch, I walk into French class and take my seat behind Emmett McCarty. As far as I know, we don't have a quiz scheduled, so I'm a little shocked when he turns around and addresses me.

"Yo. You're looking for a girl?"

Alice works quickly, it seems. I can't even feel weird that I kissed Emmett's girlfriend in first grade, either. If anyone can find the girl, it's him. He talks to anyone and everyone, even if it's to get the answers for his homework. No one cares because he's just that fun-and if they do care, they don't say a word because he's effing _huge._ I wouldn't want to piss him off, in any case.

I notice I still haven't answered, so I nod quickly. As an incentive to help me with my plight, I pull my homework out and lay it on my desk, facing him, so that he can copy the answers while we talk.

"Kick ass," he mumbles, scribbling quickly on his own paper. "You should sit with us at lunch tomorrow. Then you can point out this girl if you see her."

I'm taken aback at the invitation. It's not exactly a "Welcome, welcome!" but it's a chance to sit with people who might talk to me. I usually bounce around from table to table, hoping no one notices that I've encroached upon their space. They usually don't.

"Um, sure," I stutter. "I could do that. Do you think anyone would mind?"

He raises an eyebrow and smirks, and I know no one would dare say anything if they did have a problem with me being there. So I shrug and thank him before panicking about what I should eat for lunch. Does the elite bring their own lunch or is something from the cafeteria good enough? Maybe they don't eat at all and get something together after school. I don't want to stick out and make it obvious that I don't belong, but everyone's going to know that right away, anyway.

"How'd you know who I am, anyway?" The words burst from me before I can stop them. "I mean, I know Alice told you, but how did you know…"

"Who she was talking about?" he finishes for me.

"Yeah. I mean…" I don't even know how to continue.

"Dumbass," he mutters, finishing up with my homework and sliding it back toward me. "We were friends in fifth grade. Do you remember?"

I do remember. There was a group of us, including Jasper and a guy named Garrett who moved away that summer before sixth grade. When we started school again, Jasper was relegated to the geek crowd, Emmett started junior high football and cemented his future as the king of the school, and I kind of faded…into nothing.

"I wasn't the one who decided we weren't friends anymore."

His words rock me thoroughly. Of course, I felt left behind when he started making friends on the football team and hanging out with the older guys, but he never shunned me or anything like that. I guess I figured he wouldn't have time for me anymore and made the decision for him. I wonder if it hurt his feelings when we all moved apart. I accepted it ages ago, but I never asked him. It makes me wonder how Jasper feels about it all. Maybe I need to go over to his house after school to ask him.

I can't say anything else, but I do think about Emmett's words for the entire hour of class. It's kind of weird to find out that I'm not as invisible as I thought. All this time, I thought he forgot me, but he remembers everything. I wonder if he remembers the night we TP'd Mrs. Galt's house. She was our music teacher, and we all hated her for making us lip sync when we weren't good enough for the concerts.

Jasper isn't home when I stop by after school, so I tell his mom I'll catch him later. Then I return home and lock myself in my bedroom to relive that moment-the moment my life changed. I still don't understand the magnitude of this change, but I know it's going to be enormous.

Thank you again to TiffanyAnne3, my super beta.


	4. Chapter 4

Jasper stops me as I'm getting into the car, so I open the passenger door and offer him a ride to school. His face looks like mine probably did yesterday when Emmett talked to me, and I feel bad for not making an effort before now. If I feel lonely and left out every day, I can only imagine how Jasper must feel. He's not only ignored, but he's also kind of tormented.

He kind of brings it on himself. I mean, it only took a haircut for me. What would happen if he stopped wearing his pocket protector and proclaiming Darth Vader the Lord Ruler of the Universe? Still, everyone needs a friend, I've discovered recently. Maybe I could be that for Jasper from now on.

We walk up to the school doors together and run into Alice immediately. Jasper turns bright red and runs before I can say another word. I didn't get much out of him on the ride to school, so I decide I'll catch him before lunch. Alice watches him go with a funny expression on her face, and I wonder if she's about to insult my old friend.

"He could use a haircut, too," she muses. "He's got a pretty face, doesn't he?"

I give her a look that says, _"What am I supposed to know about it?"_ She takes my arm with a laugh and walks with me to our first class.

"So I have some possibilities for you. I've been watching all the girls in my classes, and there are three that fit the description you gave me. There's Angela Weber in my home ec class, Bella Swan in my chem class, and Jessica Stanley. She's on the cheerleading squad with me."

I shudder and shake my head. I know for sure it's not Jessica. Plus, she's always been a bit of a bitch.

"It's not Jessica, but I don't know the other ones."

Alice scoots our desks together and plops down with a sigh. It sounds like relief.

"I couldn't help you hook up with Jess in good conscience," she admits as we pull our books out. "But the other two seem nice. I don't really know them, but I can get to know them, if you want?"

I feel kind of helpless. Without seeing either of them, I have no idea if she's even close. She could be talking about anyone. My girl could be a freshman or a senior. She could be in all the gifted classes or struggling in the remedial ones. Something tells me she's intelligent - probably the spark I saw in her eyes, but I just don't know.

"I'll start with Angela. She sits right behind me in home ec, so it will be easier to start a conversation. Maybe I'll break my pen again." Her eyes glitter with humor, and I can't help but laugh with her.

I dig the hand wipes out of my bag and hand them to her, give them up happily in return for her planned sacrifice.

With a plan in place, it's easier to pay attention during our study session. Alice already has a great outline, but she's happy to let me make suggestions. Her séance idea still seems a little flaky to me, but I'm willing to let her do anything she wants since she's so gung-ho about helping me-a veritable stranger-find the girl of my dreams.

When lunchtime arrives, I wonder if Emmett remembers inviting me to sit with him. I know the table he's talking about. There's always two dozen people or so crowded around the table, so they won't even notice a new person. Rosalie may say something, but I have the feeling Emmett can defuse the situation. Still, if he doesn't even remember asking me, things could get awkward.

I stand inside the door for a minute, staring at the group in question. Most of them have their own lunches from home, so I'm at least prepared with my own brown bag. Still, I don't know how to approach them without calling attention to myself. Before I can change my mind completely and flee for the library, Emmett looks up and catches my eye.

"Yo, Edward. I saved you a seat, man."

About a hundred people turn to see whom he's talking to. Some of the girls keep looking for a moment, wondering if I'm someone they should have noticed before now. Slowly, I make my way to the corner, feeling eyes following me as I walk. Most people turn back to their lunches, but I still feel like someone is watching me closely.

I glance around quickly, hoping to catch whoever it is in the act, but no one seems to be looking. The feeling sticks with me even after I turn back to the table and take my seat. I wonder briefly if it's her-Angela or Bella or some other brown-haired, brown-eyed girl.

"Over here," Emmett says, pointing to the chair next to him. "You can see the whole caf from here."

As I sit down, Alice plops down across the table from me. "I hope it's not Angela," she whispers. "She told me she's got a boyfriend. That's just asking for heartache."

Her little face looks so sad, and I'm touched that she seems so invested in my happiness. I can't imagine this girl, whoever she is, telling me that I'm beautiful when she's already involved with someone else, but I don't know anything about her. I guess anything's possible.

"Do you see her?" Emmett asks, gesturing to the crowded room.

"See who?" Rosalie asks, setting her bag down on the table.

She doesn't look surprised to see me, but she also doesn't look happy about it. I can't help but wonder if she remembers me. She's grown to be absolutely gorgeous, of course, but I still remember her as the little blonde girl with pigtails and a grape juice stain on her dress. She'd probably kill me if I shared that.

"Edward's looking for his girl." Emmett reaches across the table for a fist bump, and I hesitantly comply.

"You don't know who she is?" Rosalie looks supremely uninterested, but that changes when Emmett and Alice take turns telling the story.

"That's really sweet," she says grudgingly. "I know who Bella is. She's in my government class. Really quiet, I think."

Her eyes scan the room, and her gaze stops somewhere in the distance. I turn to see what she's looking at, and my breath catches as she and Alice speak.

"That's her," we all say at the same time, but I sound like I've been punched in the gut.

"Wait," Alice says. "Which is her? She's sitting next to Angela."

I study her from across the cafeteria, feeling my pulse race. She's even prettier than I could have hoped, with pale skin that seems to glow under the fluorescent lights. Her blue shirt is kind of flowy, so I can't see her curves, but I know they're there. That amazing hair is down and spilling over her shoulders, and her face is lit up in laughter at whatever the others at her table are saying.

"Blue shirt," I mutter. "Wow."

"_Ohthankgod_," Alice says in a whoosh. "That's Bella. I still haven't talked to her yet, so I don't know if she's got a boyfriend, but at least we know now that it's not Angela."

I'm not following a thing Alice is saying because I can't take my eyes off of _her - _Bella_._ I can't believe how pretty she really is. I knew she would be, but seeing her finally - all of her-somehow exceeds the fantasies I'd concocted.

"Why isn't she over here?" I wonder aloud.

She's certainly beautiful enough to give Rosalie a run for her money. She belongs among the elite if anyone does. Instead, she seems happy enough in her own little world, completely unnoticed by the popular crowd until they are forced to see her.

"What now?" Rosalie asks, leaning forward with interest. "Will you go talk to her?"

I freeze. I hadn't really thought past the point where I found out who she is. The logical thing would be to go talk to her - to maybe introduce myself. I wonder if she's even thought about me since Monday. Was it really only three days ago? I can't believe it's only taken three days for my whole world to turn upside down.

Thank you again to TiffanyAnne3 for being an amazing beta!


	5. Chapter 5

Of course, I don't go say hello. I completely pussy out and keep my ass planted in the chair. Rosalie and Alice look sympathetic, but Emmett spends the rest of the lunch period making fun of me. His taunts follow me all the way to French class, where he continues the torture under his breath during the lecture. He's so busy with his torment that he forgets to copy my quiz, so I take a bit of comfort in the fact that he's probably failed it.

Emmett keeps it up as we're walking out of class and follows me all the way to my computer class. He doesn't seem to realize where he is until the bell rings, and then he jumps and yells that his class is on the other side of the building. When a school houses five thousand people, give or take, the other side of the building is a bit of a haul.

I think about his words during my class. I know he's bugging me because he wants to see me do something about all of this now that I know who she is. And I really want to. I really want to seek her out and tell her that she changed my life.

With a jolt, I realize she kind of has. I never talked to Alice before three days ago, and my opening conversation was about this girl. Emmett has talked to me about more than just French class and has somehow become something of a friend. Even Rosalie was nice when she found out I was crushing on Bella without even knowing her name. Score one point for the romantic in me, though if anyone should know about that, it would be Rosalie. She did get a pretty sappy Valentine from me, after all. We were six, but that doesn't undermine the feelings that went into it.

Jasper is waiting by my car after the final bell, and I remember that I drove him to school this morning. I wave and unlock the doors for him, and he settles inside after a half-hearted acknowledgment. He's probably feeling pretty confused about everything, since I brought him to school and then dumped him at the front door.

"So…" I say as I put the car into gear.

He looks pretty interested in what I have to say, but he doesn't press me for more words.

"I was talking to Emmett yesterday, and he said something that made me think. We used to be good friends, right?"

He nods, his gaze on the floor at his feet. I make a split decision and turn toward town. He may hate me, but it's worth a shot. When he notices that we're not heading toward home, he doesn't say a word. Seems like he'd fight a little bit, anyway, in case I'm trying to kidnap him.

"I thought we might…you know…" My voice kind of drifts off into oblivion, and I curse myself for wussing out again.

"Yeah," he says, a small smile forming. "Junior high was a bitch."

"High school is, too," I affirm, laughing a little bit. The last three days haven't been so bad, but the three years leading up to them were a special kind of hell.

"Where are we going?" he finally asks.

"Oh, that." I pull into the same salon where I got my hair cut two days ago and cut the engine. "So Alice - you know who Alice is, right?"

His eyes widen and he nods slowly. "Cute."

It seems like that's the only word he can manage.

"Well, she thinks the same thing about you. She said this morning that you'd be…ugh, I can't say it without sounding like a girl. She thinks you'd be cute if you got a haircut." The last words rush from my mouth in a jumble, but he understands fine if his blush is any indication.

"Really?"

I know how he feels. He has to be feeling the same way I did when Bella called me beautiful. That swelling, warm, triumphant, baffling feeling is probably spreading through him.

"Dude, I just lost man points telling you that. I wouldn't risk those if it wasn't the truth."

Without another word, Jasper opens the door and marches to the salon. I laugh and follow him inside. I stay out of the decision, letting the girl choose again, but I do wait around to give Jasper a ride to the mall in the next town over when he's done. In less than an hour, he looks like a completely different person.

I know I don't have the authority to invite him to sit with us at lunch, but I do it anyway. It's time for me to start taking back control of my life.


	6. Chapter 6

Now that I know who she is, I notice her everywhere. It's like the blinders are off and I can finally see. She's walking down the hall in front of me on the way to her first class of the day, and I can see she's got in headphones. Her body sways to the music, and she's unaware of anyone else around her. If people try to talk, she nods hello and keeps walking, fully secure in herself.

After class, I see her again, only she's going the opposite direction. I hope for our eyes to meet so I can see if she recognizes me, but she's lost in her own world. Again, she waves if someone acknowledges her, but she doesn't stop to talk to anyone. At lunch, she sits with the same two people, who I figure are Angela and Angela's boyfriend. No one else approaches the table, and they don't seek anyone out. She seems to be invisible, just as I was four days ago.

Jasper is sitting with us, and Alice is beside herself over his changes. I haven't told her those changes were for her, but she knows anyway. She listens to him blather about his sci-fi books and the Renaissance festival and all the other stupid things he does. Of course, I don't add my own regard for sci fi to the conversation. I know better than that.

Instead, I sit and stare. I get some more nudges from Emmett, and I know I should take his advice. What do I have to lose? I know I'd be heartbroken if she didn't remember me.

Without making the conscious decision, I follow her from the lunchroom to her next class. She doesn't see me, which kind of solidifies the doubt in my mind. When the bell rings, I have to hoof it to the next hall over, and I'm late, like I always am. I'm shocked when the teacher actually calls me out for it, too. Never before has anyone even noticed, but it seems I'm not quite as invisible anymore.

The slap on the wrist turns out to be detention after school - a sentence I will gladly serve. It's a small price to pay for finally being noticed. I'm not surprised to see Emmett there. He has a problem with tardiness like I do, but he gets caught a lot more often. We pass notes and laugh silently through the thirty-minute joke of a punishment and then make our way to the parking lot together.

Emmett stops at the curb and elbows me sharply. I look away from my car, where Jasper is waiting for his ride home, and see Bella Swan kicking the tire of a beat up, black Chevy truck. We're not close enough to hear her, but I know she's swearing. Jasper follows our gazes and sees her, too. The three of us converge upon the poor girl with the intent of helping.

Bella looks up with surprise when we approach, and her eyelids flutter as she looks over me. I know she recognizes me, but she doesn't acknowledge me beyond a slight reddening of her cheeks. I want to smirk at the reaction I inspire, but I'm too busy hyperventilating over being so close to her.

"Having trouble?" Emmett steps up and starts the conversation like a man.

He walks around the truck to the open driver's side door and pops the hood without asking first. We all stare as he fiddles around for a minute.

"You're out of luck. Rosalie's already gone home, and I know she could fix this. Can you leave it overnight? I know she'll look in the morning."

My blood freezes in my veins when she speaks. It's the voice-the voice that's been running through my head for four days. Soft, yet strong. Sweet, yet a bit husky. I'm convinced there is no other voice like it in the world.

When she says, "I can call my dad," all I hear is, _"Christ, you're beautiful."_

I want to say it back to her, but my subconscious tells me that she didn't actually say what I think she said. I'm able to stop myself in time. Elbows from both guys prompt me to speak up, and I stutter when I do.

"I-I can give you a ride." I have to pat myself on the back for getting the words out.

They're the first I've said to her. I wish I had something a little more profound, but she seems happy enough with those. A smile that eclipses all other smiles before it crosses her face, and she nods.

"Perfect," Emmet says, rubbing his hands together. "Jasper, I'm in the Jeep. We'll see you guys tomorrow."

Before anyone can say another word, the guys are gone and I'm left with the prettiest girl I've ever seen. She's fidgeting a little, and the sight of her discomfort is completely incongruent with the carefree girl I've been watching for half the week.

"M-my car is the Volvo." I curse myself for stuttering again, but she doesn't seem to notice it.

We climb in and buckle up, and then no other words are spoken, save for the directions she gives me to her house. I can tell when we're getting close, because she gets even more agitated. Finally, after what seems like a million years in one tiny second, we arrive in front of a small white cottage in the middle of town.

A picket fence surrounds the yard, and a rose garden sits right behind the whitewashed slats. Somehow I know the girl next to me is responsible for the blooms. I want to compliment her, but the words won't come.

Bella looks at me one last time and then opens the door. I hear a small sigh as she exits the car, and it's enough to kick my ass into gear. She's already through the front gate when I get my door open.

"Bella, wait!" I call, probably too loudly.

She freezes and turns slowly. "You know my name?"

It never occurred to me that I shouldn't. We didn't actually exchange information the first time we talked. I feel my cheeks heat with embarrassment, but I shrug it away.

"I might have asked."

A slow smile crosses her face and she steps a little closer to me. I can almost feel a pull between us, and I wonder if it would be stronger if she were nearer. I decide to test my theory, taking two more steps. Immediately, the magnetism multiplies, and I know. I know this girl is meant for me.

"You turned me inside out on Monday," I whisper. "I'd never seen you before, and then there you were, all crazy hair everywhere and these big brown eyes. That would have been enough to hook me, Bella. I still would have tried my damnedest to find out who you were. But then you saw me. I mean, you _saw _me. Nobody's seen me for years, but you did."

At this point, my forehead is against hers, and I can't stop myself. I don't even want to. My left arm slides around her back, and my right hand lifts her chin so that I can look into those warm, deep, amazing brown eyes. Her breath catches, and I know I have her.

Slowly, so slowly that I don't even feel like I'm even moving, I cover her lips with mine. Softly-so softly and sweetly, she welcomes me. I allow myself only a moment in heaven before pulling away. My heart is thrumming, my mind is begging me to kiss her again, and my body is telling me to drag her into the house and mark her as mine forever.

"I was so mortified," she whispers. "I knocked you down and then couldn't say anything. And when I did… Jesus. I couldn't even introduce myself or anything. Instead, I said the most embarrassing thing possible and ran away."

I open my mouth to correct her-to let her know that her words changed my life, but I can see she wants to say more, so I stop.

"I saw you again everywhere. I didn't know who you were, either, but then I saw you with Alice and Emmet, and I figured I didn't even have a chance. I said goodbye to you before I could even properly say hello."

Now. Now is my time to speak. "You opened up my whole world with those words. I'd never talked to Alice before Monday, and my first words were to tell her about you. She's been helping me find you."

"Really?" Her incredulous expression is so full of hope that I can't hold myself back anymore.

"Really."

With that, I cover her lips with mine again and kiss her with a week's worth of longing. She wraps her arms around me and pulls me even closer, allowing me to taste her tongue before gasping for breath.

I lean my forehead against her temple and sigh with more happiness than I can remember feeling in years. I can't think. My thoughts are everywhere, all over the girl in front of me and our future. Carefully, I put together the words I have to say.

"Christ, you're beautiful."


End file.
